Purpose

To inform Members of the Families First Partnership Reform
Agenda, how it is proposed this is governed and seek approval to
recruit additional programme management capacity to deliver the
reforms

Content

The Cabinet
considered a report of the Director of Children’s Services,
which sought approval of the the governance arrangements to oversee
the co-design and implementation of the Families First Partnership
Programme in Rochdale.
 
The Cabinet Member
Education and Children’s Services delivered a brief summary
of the report’s key points.
 
The
Children’s Services Principal Transformation Lead was in
attendance to present the information and to address the questions
and the comments of the Cabinet Members.
 
The Officer
informed that to support Local Authorities to deliver the
Children’s Social Care reforms outlined in the
Children’s Wellbeing and School Bill and Families First
Partnership Programme guide March 2025, Rochdale Borough Council
had received a £1.724m Prevention Grant from the Department
for Education (DfE).
 
The conditions of
the grant outlined expectations to utilise up to 30% of the grant
for transformation resources to support the Local Authority to
deliver significant reforms as well as to support the delivery of
partnership services under a new operating model.
 
The report
outlined how the new policy change and programme would be delivered
in Rochdale and sought approval of the resources required to ensure
smooth implementation in line with the national
guidance.
 
Resolved:

1.    
That the Council’s implementation of the Families First
Partnership Programme in Rochdale Borough be noted;

2.    
That the governance arrangements to oversee the co-design and
implementation of the Families First Partnership Programme in
Rochdale be approved;

3.    
That the use of £1.01m funded by the Prevention Grant
to recruit the roles as detailed in sections 4 - 5 to drive design
and delivery be approved;

4.    
That authority be delegated to the Director of
Children’s Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member
for Children’s Services and Education, to approve and
implement minor amendments to the Families First Partnership
Programme, including adjustments to programme delivery,
implementation timelines, and the allocation of funding within the
scope of the Prevention Grant, where such changes are necessary to
ensure effective delivery and alignment with national
guidance.
 
Reason for
decision:
The Families First
Partnership reforms were national guidance and not voluntary. Local
Authorities were required to implement the reforms and report to
the Department of Education about the progress of the
work.
 
Alternatives
considered and rejected:
If the local
authority did not deliver the reforms they would be likely to be
deemed to be Inadequate by Ofsted at the next
inspection.
 
If the programme
was not resourced adequately to deliver, this would impact on the
ability to demonstrate corporate commitment to the reforms and they
would not be delivered effectively, this was likely to result in a
poor inspection outcome.